January 30, 2017

Retirement, As God Sees It

It’s time to crank up the blog again. God’s at work, or at least I’m hearing Him better these days.

My wife and I have decided it is time to retire. I’m 75, she’s 72. We love our part-time jobs, but it is time. In fact, I’ve already announced my date: May 31, 2017.

With retirement we “figured” moving was the next step. Five places, no six, came to the forefront. My choice, Escanaba, MI, where we lived 1984-89. Shirley said only with another wife. So strike Escanaba.

Then came Seattle. We love that place. Lived there 12 years, 1989 to 2001. But, alas, too expensive.

Left to consider were Corpus Christi, where our son and his family live; Waco, TX, where Shirley’s sister lives, and Antioch Community Church is; Titusville, FL, where we lived 1970-1980; and Denham Springs, a suburb of Baton Rouge, where I was a youth pastor and preaching pastor, and most of our ministry support team lives.

And the winner is ….. God!

In a devotional early Jan. 10th I was reminded that one who seriously walks with God “identifies himself entirely with God’s interest in other men.” I stopped dead in my tracks and heard God clearly say, “Now is not the time to move. You still have work to do in Blythe.”

It was a clear word. But just in case I didn’t get it my wife suddenly walked in my office. She’s never up at 5:30 a.m. So I said, “let me tell you what God said to me this morning.” I did, fearing how she might respond. And she said, “I know, God told me that during the night.”

Clear, wouldn’t you say? Later that day Shirley talked with her sister in Waco, “I’ve got something to tell you,” Shirley said. “I know,” said Wanda, “you’re not moving.”

Retirement is great... Bobby has been in it for a month...😊... God gave us the scripture... "He went out not knowing where he was going" ...Heb.11:8.. Trusting God for this new place... He is already showing us ministry opportunities and we are excited... We may retire from the daily job but we never retire spiritually... Excited for ya'll ..even tho it would have been nice for you to come back to Denham....